2-1-1 Texas

Every solution starts somewhere. For many members in our community, the solution to their family’s needs begins with a call to 2-1-1 Texas/United Way of the Brazos Valley.

United Way of the Brazos Valley’s 2-1-1 Texas program is our region’s free Information and Referral Center connecting residents to community resources in their area. When callers dial 2-1-1, they are connected to professionally trained 2-1-1 Specialists who, using compassion and skill, take time to assess the caller’s specific needs. 2-1-1 Specialists ensure that each caller’s needs are addressed with accurate and prompt referrals.

2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember number that began in Atlanta, Georgia in 1997 and is approved by the FCC as a non-emergency designation for Information and Referral in the United States. 2-1-1 Texas/United Way of the Brazos Valley began taking calls in 2002 and has taken around 350,000 calls since then; that means approximately 350,000 of our neighbors and friends have had a caring voice to help them in their time of need. While United Way of the Brazos Valley strives to identify and address community needs, 2-1-1 serves as the “pulse of community needs,” speaking directly with residents dealing with challenging situations.

2-1-1 Texas is a program of United Way of the Brazos Valley in partnership with the State of Texas Health and Human Service Commission. The Brazos Valley Center is in a network of 25 Area Information Centers, covering 100% of the state of Texas.

What We Do:

2-1-1 Texas quickly and efficiently links people with the health and human services they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free.

2-1-1 Texas can provide information and referral for individuals seeking food, shelter and clothing, medical and mental health assistance, affordable childcare, information about caring for an aging relative, parenting resources, tax preparation assistance, help recovering from a disaster, or other needs.

If you would like your Agency to be considered for inclusion in the 2-1-1 Texas database, please review our Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria. If you feel that your Agency fits our inclusion criteria, follow the link and instructions on the 2-1-1 Texas website.

If you would like to search the 2-1-1 Texas database for a list of resources in your area, click here.

Role in Disasters:

2-1-1 Texas is a part of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and works closely with city and county emergency managers to disseminate information. Calls are answered in times of disaster to deliver information on Point of Distribution sites, shelter information, donation designation sites, as well as evacuation information. Persons with special needs may also call 2-1-1 to register with the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) so that in times of disaster county officials will be alerted to their location for evacuation.

*2-1-1 Texas is a partnership between United Way of the Brazos Valley and the Texas Information and Referral Network, a program of the Health and Human Services Commission.